"Janette will not be back to full fitness for six or seven weeks, so sadly the panto season is over for them.

Stephen Purdon plays Shellsuit Bob in River City

"We are delighted to have landed such three high-profile Scottish actors in John, Stephen and Ryan.

"The Pavilion panto is so much a part of Glasgow at this time of year, and I felt I owed it to the theatre-going public to try and keep the show alive."

Mr Murtagh said: "Obviously I would have preferred getting the role under very different circumstances and I wish Janette a speedy and full recovery.

"But I have played a dame before and I am looking forward to slipping into a dress again."

The accident took place as the first half of the pantomime drew to a close on Wednesday.

The special lift which holds up the beanstalk fell, sending Mrs Tough and her co-star crashing onto the stage.

Mr Tough was not on stage at the time of the accident but went to hospital with his wife.

John Murtagh will take over Ian Tough's role

He said that a preview of the show had been cancelled because the mechanical prop, from the United States, was not ready in time for the performance.

He stressed his wife is expected to make a full recovery, and said: "We're just the actors. You're led to believe - obviously - it should be safe, but we'll have to see what the health and safety people say.

"She's in a lot of pain, but she's not in any desperate danger. It's a terrible shock."

The couple are now semi-retired but throughout the 1980s were a fixture on national television making their name on the Crackerjack children's TV programme.

They hosted their own show, The Krankies Club, on ITV before finally disappearing from the screens in 1991.

They have been starring in the Christmas production in Glasgow since it opened at the end of last month.